Renowned US skier Catherine ‘Kasha’ Rigby has died in an avalanche in Kosovo, her fiancee has said.
Rigby, 54, known as Kasha, died on Tuesday at Brezovica mountain resort in Kosovo, Magnis Wofe Murray said in a message response in Facebook.
Mr Murray said on Saturday: “We were to be married in September. Now I’m widowed and devastated.”
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The resort’s official account posted on Instagram a picture of rescuers on a snowy hillside near to a foil blanket, and pulling a stretcher, saying its ski centre rescue team “pulled out the victim from very dangerous part of hill when she tragically lost her life, even though they were in danger for their own life.”
It did not specify if it was Ms Rigby.
Rigby was a telemark, big mountain and expedition skier, covering first descents of some of the world’s most revered peaks and had appeared in several films and on a US reality TV show.
Considered one of the best female telemark skiers in the world, she was skiing out of the tourist lanes when an avalanche hit her, police said.
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She died despite receiving immediate CPR from Mr Murray and later medical assistance.
Rigby was swept into a pine tree by a small avalanche in the “Eagle’s Nest” area, which is known for its avalanche risks, after dropping in at the top of the run, search and rescue staff said.
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She was in Brezovica, 50 miles south of the Kosovan capital, Pristina, with the Tour de Piste, a project made up of expert skiers to navigate uncharted ski runs at popular locations.
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In her last Instagram post, on Monday, she said they were facing “sideways rain, a big melt, and winds too high to run lifts”.
Among the tributes on her account, she was described as “inspiring”, “a shining light” and a “sweet sister”.
Her death was confirmed by the US State Department, without giving her name or more details “out of respect to the family during this difficult time”.
Born in Stowe, Vermont, in 1970, she became a telemark skier as a child.
Telemark skiing is a combination of Alpine and Nordic skiing where the athlete bends their knees every time they have to turn. The heel is attached to the front of the binding by a hinged cable.
She competed in telemark racing and extreme-skiing competitions in the US, Canada, South America, New Zealand, Russia, Asia, Europe, India, and the Middle East.
She skied the highest peak in Siberia, Kyrgyzstan, China, and the Mongolian Five Holy Peaks and is one of only three US women to ski an 8,000m (26,2000 foot) peak in the Himalayas.
Her most recent movie appearance came in 2009’s Edge Of Never, and six years later she was a contestant on the third season of Ultimate Survival Alaska, where her team finished second.
There are 161 people still missing in Texas in the aftermath of last weekend’s deadly flash floods, the state’s governor has said.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, governor Gregg Abbot said the number of missing had risen markedly.
He said among the missing were five children and one counsellor from Camp Mystic – where at least 27 people were killed in the flash flooding.
At least 109 people are confirmed to have died in the floods, which took place on the 4 July weekend, but this figure has been steadily climbing ever since.
Image: People comforted each other in Kerville. Pic: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP
The bulk of deaths, and the main search for additional bodies, have been concentrated in Kerr County and the city of Kerrville.
The area was transformed into a disaster zone when torrential rains struck the region early last Friday, unleashing deadly flooding along the Guadalupe River.
Travis County, Kendall County, Burnett County, Williamson County, and Tom Green County were also hit.
Mr Abbot said many of those who were unaccounted for were in the Texas Hill Country area, but had not registered at a camp or hotel, posing further challenges for authorities.
Camp Mystic
Mr Abbot planned to make another visit to Camp Mystic.
The century-old all-girls Christian summer camp was badly hit by the flash floods, with at least 27 campers and counsellors dying.
Image: Hanna Lawrence, left, and Rebecca Lawrence, right. Pic: John Lawrence/AP
Image: Lila Bonner (L) and Eloise Peck both died in the flash floods at Camp Mystic, Texas. Pic: Family handout
Image: Chloe Childress. Pic: Debra Alexander Photography via AP
Some of the victims include Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, both eight, Chloe Childress, 19, who was among the counsellors at Camp Mystic when the flood hit, and Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner, both nine.
There were scenes of devastation at the camp as the flood water receded.
Outside the cabins where the girls had slept, mud-splattered blankets and pillows were scattered.
Also in the debris were pink, purple and light blue luggage, decorated with stickers.
Image: A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic after the flooding. Pic: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
Image: Camper’s belongings lie on the ground following flooding on the Guadalupe River, at Camp Mystic.
Pic: Reuters
‘Everything looked flooded and broken’
One of the campers, 10-year-old Lucy Kennedy, told Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, that she woke up to the sound of thunder at around midnight before the floods struck.
“I couldn’t go back to sleep,” she said. “I just had a feeling that something really bad was about to happen.”
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She said the girls at the camp were told to grab blankets, pillows and water bottles and line up single file as the floodwater rose, before getting airlifted to safety.
Wynne Kennedy, Lucy’s mother, added: “When I saw her, she was wrapped up in a blanket, had a teddy bear.
“We just held each other tight, and I held her all night.”
Their home in Kerrville was also destroyed by the flash floods.
Image: Lucy Kennedy, 10 who was rescued from Camp Mystic, and her mother Wynne. Pic: NBC
Political row
Meanwhile, a political row has unfolded parallel to the recovery efforts, with some questioning whether local authorities sent out warnings and alerts early enough.
Similarly, Democrats have criticised Donald Trump over cuts his Elon Musk-launched Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has made to the National Weather Service – but it isn’t clear whether these actually made any difference.
The flash floods erupted before daybreak on Friday, after massive amounts of rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to rise by eight metres in less than an hour.
The wall of water overwhelmed cabins, tents and trails along the river’s edge.
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The date for Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sentencing hearing has been confirmed.
Following his high-profile trial, the hip-hop mogul was found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution by jurors in Manhattan, New York, last week – but was cleared of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Defence lawyers argued Combs, who has been in prison in Brooklyn since his arrest in September last year, should be bailed ahead of sentencing given the not guilty verdicts for the more serious charges, but Judge Arun Subramanian denied this – citing, among other things, the rapper’s own admissions of previous violent behaviour.
Image: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in court after the verdict was delivered. Pic: Reuters/ Jane Rosenberg
The charges of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy carried a potential life sentence. Combs still faces up to 20 years in prison for the prostitution-related offences, but is not expected to receive the maximum punishment.
After the verdict was delivered, the judge scheduled the sentencing hearing for 3 October. At a remote follow-up conference on Tuesday, with agreement from the defence and prosecution, the judge approved the date.
Combs joined the call but did not make any comment.
Any sentence will include credit for time already served – which will be just over a year by the time the hearing takes place.
During his trial, Combs was accused by prosecutors of abusing and coercing three alleged victims, including his former long-term partner, singer and model Cassie Ventura.
Jurors found the allegations did not amount to sex-trafficking or racketeering, or running a criminal enterprise – but they did find him guilty of transporting Cassie and another former girlfriend “Jane” for prostitution offences around the US, and paying male escorts to engage in sexual encounters.
Despite the guilty verdict on those charges, the 55-year-old’s team described it as “the victory of all victories”.
In an interview over the weekend, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said Combs had received a standing ovation from fellow inmates when he returned to jail after being acquitted of the more serious charges.
“They all said, ‘We never get to see anyone who beats the government’,” he said.
Ahead of sentencing, Combs’s lawyers will file their recommendations by 19 September, with prosecutors likely to follow a week later.
Prosecutors previously said the rapper could face about four to five years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, while the defence has suggested a two-year sentence.
Donald Trump has said, again, that he is “not happy” with Vladimir Putin.
In an extraordinary cabinet meeting, the US president criticised his Russian counterpart, and announced he had approved sending defensive weapons to Ukraine.
After weeks of rejecting Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request for defence support – why the sudden change of tact? Is Trump’s relationship with Putin fraying?
And what’s the latest as Trump hosts Benjamin Netanyahu again, a day after the Israeli prime minister announced he had nominated the US leader for the Nobel Peace Prize.
What next in hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza? Tariffs are also back. Trump announces more… and more.
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